Toshi no Ichi (year-end market) - Toshi no Ichi

Japanese: 年の市(歳の市) - としのいち

This is a market held at the end of the year, and its purpose is to sell tools for the New Year's festival, decorations for the New Year, miscellaneous goods, clothing, and seafood. In the past, the last market of the year was often used to sell New Year's goods, so it was also called the "Kureichi" (end of the year market), "Setsukiichi" (seasonal market), or "Tsumeichi" (end of the year market). It seems that the New Year's market was recognized as having a mystical meaning, and in the Tsumemachi district of Sannohe, Aomori Prefecture, there is a legend that people who resemble their parents appear in the Tsumemachi district, and in the Kitaazumi district and Kamiminochi districts of Nagano Prefecture, it is said that Yamauba (mountain witches) appear in the New Year's markets. Even today, when stores have developed, New Year's markets are often held on a certain day at the end of the year in fixed locations such as temple and shrine grounds or roadsides in densely populated areas, and shopping on this day has become a kind of annual event for the people of the surrounding villages.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

年末に立つ市で，年神祭の用具や正月用の飾物，雑貨，衣類，海産物の類を売るのを目的としている。かつて毎月の定期市のうち，その年最後の市を正月用品販売にあてる場合が多かったので，暮市，節季市，ツメ市などともいわれる。年の市には神秘的な意味が認められていたらしく，青森県三戸地方のツメマチには親に似た人が出るという伝承があり，長野県北安曇郡や上水内郡の暮市には山姥（やまうば）が現れるといわれていた。年の市は，商店の発達した現在でも，年末になると毎年一定の日に，人家の密集した地の社寺の境内や路傍など決まった場所に設けられることが多く，周辺の集落の人々にとってこの日の買物は一種の年中行事化したものとなっている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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